By 2021, the Kansas City Chiefs have decided that star defensive tackle Chris Jones will have more picks on the defensive end. The team did not intend for Jones to be a full-time defensive end—but with injuries (and a lack of roster depth), the team decided to experiment with playing Jones on the outside more often; It was something Jones had always wanted to do.
The results weren’t great. In Jones’ first six games that season – where he was She sided outside the tackle zone for most of his shots – He just It contains 21 pressures and three sacks.
It wasn’t just a lack of quick productivity. Jones also struggled with range defense in space. Moving Jones from his best place created downsides both home and away – so Kansas City ended the experiment.
In 2022, Jones continued to play defensively—but the team He reduced the number of his shots off tackle from 26% to just 9% of his total. This time, however, Jones fared well on those outsiders, collecting five of his sacks from that alignment—mainly when the Chiefs were on a dime defense.
Let’s see how he did it.
swipe out
In 2022, Chris Jones has played 102 snaps as a DE (down from 200 in 2021), but he’s still a very effective changeup for the Chiefs
CJ likes to pass outside with a rip to clear a corner, and his balance/coordination allows him to get into a short corner. Terrible athlete pic.twitter.com/jojMvDVeSW
– Nate Christensen (@natech32) June 11, 2023
When playing defensive end, Jones’ favorite passing move is a two-handed pass. Against most tackles, his first step is limited – so to get around the corner, Jones uses his elite hand speed. Jones knows most tackles don’t have the functional strength to handle his lunges at the bullpen, so he takes advantage of that by getting them to extend their arms and lean over to him. This allows Jones to slide across their outside shoulders to get around the corner.
CJ doesn’t have an outstanding Descent for DE, but what he does have is elite coordination and balance, which gives him the ability to turn around. CJ likes to clear hands with a two-handed pass, and is athletic enough to roll his toes around a corner and go flat. rare stuff pic.twitter.com/9hrKGs4cMO
– Nate Christensen (@natech32) June 11, 2023
Jones may not have a top-notch bang or bend, but he’s incredibly proportioned and balanced. His timing in his quick moves is perfect. It’s able to get around contact and go around a corner with poise. He may not dunk his hips and shoulders as well as 240-pound players, but his balance and functional strength keep him from getting knocked out of his way.
Chris makes up for his lack of explosiveness (as DE) with hand speed, making up for the gap on the descent. Chris’ two-handed pass is very fast, but he notes how he also avoids the chip by slowing down enough before flattening. rare stuff pic.twitter.com/rlYeIXDgK5
– Nate Christensen (@natech32) June 11, 2023
On this play, Jones uses that hand pass to quickly clear the corner – but then, watch how Jones avoids the backslide slide.
For a player of this size, Jones’ coordination and deceleration are impressive. When combined with his hand speed, these traits more than make up for his lack of explosiveness stemming from his size.
length to wipe hands
Jones is also used 34 1/2 in (And his power) to cleanse their hands. Because they have low intensity, most defensive sides struggle to clear these punches. However, Jones does not have this problem.
Chris does a good job of attacking a tackle with closed hips, being able to get into a corner and shorten it with heavy hands. Chris can dislodge easily with swipes/forklifts and is fluid enough to move his hips and flatten the angle pic.twitter.com/qP6UUWEwWz
– Nate Christensen (@natech32) June 11, 2023
Here we see Jones using the motion of the forklift to raise the outer arm of the tackle, giving it an angle to turn around the arc. The tackle is set to deal with the bullpen rush, but Jones is able to clear his hands to give himself an angle for a sack.
To me, that’s CJ using some of his DT skills off the edge. CJ has dealt with many oblique IOLs over the years, so he understands that by using his extension/strength he can draw to reduce his surface area to the pocket pic.twitter.com/0plrsvzrxJ
– Nate Christensen (@natech32) June 14, 2023
After years of playing defensive tackle—usually against a shorter inside offensive line—Jones knows how to increase his height with pulling moves. In these situations, Jones gets offensive linemen to rely on, allowing him to pull their chests. This reduces the ground Jones has to cover to get to the lead, giving him a shorter angle for the quarterback.
He can even use the same technique against bigger, taller tackles – because Jones has a strength advantage over them, too. Over the years, he has perfected his timing and quick plans. With a combination of height, strength, balance, and hand speed, he can unlock any move he wants to use.
Special things to help elicit AFCCG. CJ hit the bulls, keeping arms low for the forklift, and crouching to get around the corner. Use extension to release and agility enough to turn pic.twitter.com/VtFkYAd9LK
– Nate Christensen (@natech32) June 14, 2023
All of these attributes were on display during the biggest moments of 2022 – including the final defensive play in the Asian Championship Game. Here, Jones uses a forklift motion to clear the tackle arms, giving him a shorter angle for the mids. Years of impulsive experience (and training) come together, giving Jones a watershed moment few of us will ever forget.
Use extension and force
Chris prefers to use his quick hands to win the corner, but his change of using his insane height and strength is still hugely impressive.
Being able to outsmart someone and have 35 Arms with elite board level/influence makes it a hard cover to deal with power/influence concerns pic.twitter.com/xgKDTG3FpY
– Nate Christensen (@natech32) June 11, 2023
When he plays outside, everything Jones does comes from his height, reach and strength. He’s honed his game enough that he can also handle counters – but when Jones gets his hands in your chest, he’ll kick you right back. Jones’ strength is an effective change for him. This is especially true for attackers who are worried about him getting their hands dirty. If you get punched late, Jones will ride him into the pocket.
Jones used height and power to pull off a late win over Joanne Taylor. He pushes his vertical downward back, making enough room to get rid of the cyst. The QB grabbed the ball and PAT stood up like it didn’t help pic.twitter.com/j1uWIF20s6
– Nate Christensen (@natech32) June 12, 2023
On this play, Jones flicks new Kansas City tackle Joanne Taylor directly into the pocket as the Bulls rush. Taylor takes a good passing combo—and is well-positioned to counter Jones’s rush of revolution—but Jones is so powerful he could simply slide Taylor back, allowing him to fall into the quarterback’s lap. Taylor’s technique and range of passes were perfect. He was beaten by a stronger player.
Crazy how jones power He is the best part of his game as a defensive end. Although it is the step of change, most tackles still struggle to stop it. In 2021, Jones lacked the counters to effectively establish a bull rush – but in 2022, he was able to unlock the move. This completely opened up his game from the outside.
bottom line
In 2021, Jones could not work as a defensive end. But using it there often, his explosive power faded. He was already lacking speed while facing tackles – so by the end of the game, it was a big problem.
So in 2022, the chiefs were smarter about using Jones in this way. They put him out when he had an effective game against a weaker tackle – in those situations, he played well. Jones also improved his game, adding more counter moves and taking advantage of his hand speed and length. It made him more effective in the position he liked to play.
We should expect that in certain situations during the 2023 season, Kansas City will continue to match Jones with the outside. With the addition of central defender Charles Omeniho – who can be an effective insider – the Chiefs will also gain flexibility in their confrontations. This is always important in big matches.